"Here there is an issue
which people debated about: which type of patience is better – patience in
refraining from sin or patience in obeying Allaah? One group of people
suggested that the former is better, and they said that patience in
refraining from sin is the attitude of the siddeeqeen, as some of the salaf
said: Good deeds are done by righteous and immoral alike, but no one has the
power to refrain from sin except a Siddeeq, and because the motive to commit
sin is greater than the motive to stop being obedient, because the motive to
commit sin is pleasure, but the motive to stop being obedient is laziness
and sloth, and undoubtedly the motive to commit sin is stronger. They said:
Sin may be promoted by one's own self, whims and desires, the shaytaan,
worldly reasons, a man’s companions, a desire to imitate, and natural
inclinations. Any one of these factors may cause a person to commit sin, so
how about if they are combined and prevail over the heart? What patience can
be stronger than patience in refusing to respond to them? If Allaah did not
give him patience, he would not be patient by himself.

This argument, as you can
see, is very strong and very clear." End quote.